For additional inspirational guidance on staging and designing the production, the original novel that Thea Von Harbou (Fritz Lang's wife) based her screenplay on, is full of relevant passages.

Here is a sample of the dense "purple passages" which evoke a rich and mysterious atmosphere which in turn set the tone for the film.

Go HERE to see more text from the book along with Mike Kaluta's brilliant illustrations done for an illustrated edition of the novel.

Freder and Maria meet

analogous to "Children of Metropolis" in the musical

pages 12-14 of the Ace Paperback edition.

"The milk-coloured glass ceiling above the Eternal Gardens was an opal in the light which bathed it...

"One (woman) was standing aside, mixing him a drink. From hip to knee billowed sparkling brocade. Slender, bare legs held proudly together, she stood, like ivory, in purple, peaked shoes. Her gleaming body rose, delicately, from her hips and--she was not aware of it--quivered in the same rhythm as did the man's chst in exhaling his sweet-rising breath. Carefully did the little painted face under the eye-mask watch the work of her careful hands...

"Then suddenly--suddenly--Freder ("Steven" in the musical) turned his head. His hands, which were resting on the hips of the drink-mixer, lost hold of her, dropping down by his sides as if dead. The laughter eased, not one of the friends moved. Not one of the little, brocaded, bare-limbed women moved hand or foot. They stood and looked.

"The door of the Eternal Gardens had opened and through the door came a procession of children. They were all holding hands. They had dwarvs' faces, grey and ancient. They were little ghost-like skeletons, covered with faded rags and smocks. They had colourless hair and colourless eyes. They walked on emaciated bare feet. Noiselessly they follwed their leader.

"Their leader was a girl. The austere countenance of The Virgin. The sweet countenance of the mother. She held a skinny child by each hand. Now she stood still, regarding the young men and women one after another, with the deadly severity of purity. She was quite maid and mistress, inviolability--and was, too, graciousness itself, her beautiful brow in the diadem of goodness; her voice, pity; every word a song.

"She released the children and stretched forward her hand, motioning towards the friends and saying to the children:
'Look, these are your brothers!'

And, motioning towards the children, she said to the friends:
'Look, these are your brothers!'

She waited. She stood still and her gaze rested upon Freder.

...there reigned, for a short time, an unprecedented confusion of noise, indignation and embarrassment. The girl appeared still to be waiting. Nobody dared to touch her, though she stood so defenceless, among the grey infant-phantoms. Her eyes rested perpetually on Freder.

"Then she took her eyes from his and, stooping a little, took the children's hands again, turned and led the procession out...All was emptiness and silence...